The Nov. 8 presidential election is fast approaching, but last week the San Gabriel City Council made an important decision about the city’s local election on March 7, 2017.

The Council voted to consolidate the General Municipal election with Los Angeles County, which will potentially hold a special election in March. This means the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk will run the city’s election rather than the San Gabriel City Clerk’s Department. This will also result in a large cost savings for the city, as the consolidated election will cost less than half of what it would have cost to conduct a stand-alone city election.

Although the City Clerk’s Department will not run the March election, staff members sill pledge to visit polling locations on Election Day to ensure compliance, stay late on election night to update the public on the incoming results, serve as a drop off location for vote by mail ballots, provide Dial-A-Ride services on Election Day to assist voters and continue its voter outreach efforts in multiple languages.

Three City Council seats will be up for election in March. The filing period for nomination papers and candidate’s statements opens on Nov. 14 and closes on Dec. 9.

For more information on elections, visit www.sangabrielcity.com/Elections or contact the City Clerk’s Department at 626.308.2800, ext. 4600.